Robert robinson



(No Model.)

R. ROBINSON. APPARATUS FOR STRETGHING FELT HAT BODIES;

Patented Nov. 6, 1894.

00., morou'mu. WASHXNGTON v c NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT ROBINSON, OF ROMILEY, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR STRETCHING FELT HAT-:BODIES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 528,806, dated November 6, 1894.

Application filed July 6, 1893. Serial N 479,767. (No model.) Patented in England May 17, 1893, No- 9,8'73,' in Germany June 24,1893,No. 72,639, and in Belgium July 12, 1893,1Io. 105,636.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LROBERT ROBINSON, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Romiley, county of Chester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Stretching Felt Hat-Bodies, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent in England, No. 9,873, dated May 17, 1893; in Germany, No. 72,639, dated June 24, 1893, and in Belgium, No. 105,636, dated July 12, 1893,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide new and improved means for perfectly and expeditiously stretching felt hat bodies in a manner nearlylike the usual hand stretching.

To accomplish this object my invention consists in the features of construction and the combination or arrangement of' parts hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the plane of section being at right angles to the plane of section, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the hat block in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the pivoted rods to which the sections of the hat block are secured; and Fig. 5 is a detail side View, showing a modified form of block.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein- The letters A indicate the sections of my improved hat block which are respectively mounted on the upper ends of lovers B and O mounted at their lower ends on a pivot F,

and drawn together by springs M and N secured to the rods and to hooks or fastening devices and P attached to the supporting frame of the table top E. The rods B and O are intermittently spread apart or separated by the action of a cam H interposed between the rods and secured to a shaft I which is ro-' tated by a drive-wheel L, or any other suit-v able means.

The sections of the improved hat block are constructed of a shape or form suitable for the conditions required, and the outer sure face of each block section A is provided with numerous rubber studs G which project from the surface of the block section like fingers,

which afford frictional hold upon the felt when the two sections of'the block are separated, and bear against the interior of the hat body, as in Fig 5. The rubber-studs G are sufficiently rigid to tease out the felt Without unduly distending or stretching the same, and these rubber studs, separated from one another and distributed over the hat-blocksections, operate in substantially the same manner as the fingers of the workman according to the ordinary hand method of stretching, which hand method has been considered the'best, in that it produces a better product or article.

The plurality of the rubber-studs, projecting in the manner described and shown, and operating substantially like the fingers of the hand, are very advantageous, and attain a result which cannot be attained with a hatblock having its surface covered with a plain sheet of rubber. I

The rods B andO project through an opening D in the table top E, which opening is of a size sufficient to permit the rods to move apart as in Fig. 5. The rotation of the shaft I and cam H causes the rods to separate while the springs M and N draw the rods toward each other, and, therefore, by placing a felt hat body on the block sections and turning the hat body around alternately with the separation of the block sections, the hat body is effectually stretched without being unduly distended.

The hat block sections maybe of the form shown in Figs. 1 to or they may be of the form shown in Fig. 6 for producing a hat with a square crown.

The elastic or'flexiblestuds G may be secured to the bodies of the block sections in any suitable manner.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is- A hat stretching block, consisting of two similar block sections each provided on its outer surface with numerous separated, projecting elastic fingers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature to the foregoing specification.

ROBERT ROBINSON. 

